Brussels, 30 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to stay in office for one more year, after attempts to find a successor backed by all 31 member states of the Western defence alliance have failed, according to alliance sources.

A formal decision to extend the contract will probably be made next Tuesday at a meeting of the permanent representatives of the NATO states in Brussels, according to information obtained by dpa.

Stoltenberg had stated several times in recent months that he was not seeking another term in office. According to sources close to him, however, the Norwegian now wants to continue out of a "sense of duty."

US politicians in particular have repeatedly praised the 64-year-old for his leadership since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year. Stoltenberg had done an "incredible job," US President Joe Biden said in mid-June.

Photo: EPA